Ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism



July 4, 1961 Filed June 7, 1957 INVENTOR. BY Robert W. Fink hfz/ndiflttorney R. W. FINK July 4, 1961 ICE CUBE SHUCKING AND LIFTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1957 INVENTOR. Robert W Fink BY 9PM}?! ,fltiomey 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. W. F INK ICE CUBE SHUCKING AND LIFTING MECHANISM July 4, 1961 Filed June 7; 1957 INVENTOR. Robert W. Fink BY j fi Zz/Umdt, Ffitomqy 2,990,701 ICE CUBE SHUCKING AND LlFTlNG MECHANISM Robert W. Fink, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, Evansville, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 7, 1957, Ser. No 664,371 '11 Claims. (Cl. 62-353) The present invention relates to ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, and is particularly concerned with devices for removing ice cubes from an ice cube tray and for breaking the bond between an ice tray grid and the ice cubes.

The instant invention particularly involves a device wherein the ice tray grid is permanently attached to a shucking-lifting mechanism, and wherein a tray of water may be inserted into a housing and the grid then lowered into the tray. After the water has been frozen the grid is lifted, leaving the frozen cubes in the tray.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, which is simple in construction, which has a minimum number of parts, which is durable, which may be manufactured at a low cost, and which positively assures the release of all of the ice cubes :by the simple movement of a handle provided for that purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ice cube shucking mechanism which is disposed in a housing and provided with actuating means carried by the housing and permanently attached to the ice tray grid, so that the grid may be lifted out of the ice tray, leaving all of the cubes in a loose condition in the tray, and after removal from the housing of the tray with the cubes therein, the tray may be emptied and replaced in the housing, the grid replaced in the tray, and the tray refilled with water for freezing a new supply of ice cubes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an ice cube shucking mechanism, which is built as a unit, in a housing and provided with new and improved comb means for positively breaking the ice cubes out of the grid as the grid is lifted by means of the lifting mechanlsm.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a broken horizontal sectional view of an ice cube shucking mechanism embodying the invention, taken substantially along the line 11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 22 of -FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present ice cube shucking mechanism preferably includes a sheet metal housing 10 having a top wall 11, abottom wall 12, an end wall '13, and two side walls 14 and 15.

The mechanism may be placed in any freezingchamher having suitable refrigerating coils, such as .the coils 16 (FIG. 1) of :a freezing evaporator, preferably adapted to attain a temperature-of around zerodegrees F.

The end wall 13 has an upper, inwardly extending flange l7, which may be riveted or welded to the top Wall 11. End'wall 13 is acutely angled at '18, providing a flange 19"aboveanice tray 20 for holding the tray down.

End Wall 13 has a idownwardly extending stop wall United States Patent 21 limiting the insertion of the ice tray 20, and is also provided with a bottom attaching flange 22, welded or riveted to the bottom wall 12.

The Side walls 14 and 15 may have inwardly extending flanges 23, 24, 25 and 26 at the top and bottom for securement to the top wall 11 and bottom wall 12, whereby housing 10 has a substantially rectangular shape and is open at its front end 27.

The housing is adapted to receive the ice tray 20, which may be of suitable conducting metal, such as aluminum, provided with a bottom wall 27, end walls 28 and 29, and side walls 30 and 31.

Al lof the walls 28-31 slope outward toward the top and are provided with the laterally projecting rim flange 32, extending completely around the top of the ice tray for engagement with co-operating portions of the housing 10.

For example, the right end portion (FIG. 2) of the rim flange 32 extends under the flange 19 of the housing 10 to hold the ice tray down at that end, and abuts stop wall 21 which prevents it from moving farther through the housing.

The housing is preferably provided with a pair of comb assemblies 33, 34, projecting inward from the side walls 14 and 15, and adapted to engage the tops of the ice cubes without interfering with the ice tray grid.

The structure of the combs is co-ordinated that of the grid 35 which will now be described. Grid 35 includes a longitudinally extending partition 36, which extends from end to end of the tray and has upwardly and outwardly sloping end edges 37, 38 complementary to the slanted end walls 28 and 29 of ice tray 20.

At its rear end, partition 36 has an upwardly extending pivot flange 39 for pivotally mounting an actuating link 40 by means of a rivet 41.

The partition 36 has a multiplicity of lower, downwardly open V-shaped grooves 42 for receiving the transversely extending plates 43 which, together with partition 36, divide the tray into ice cube pockets. The partition 36 has a longitudinally extending grid actuating strip 44 located above partition 36 and extending parallel to it through apertures 45 provided in each of the transversely extending plates 43.

Link 40 is arranged at one end for receiving a-shaft 66; while this end is illustrated as being apertured, it may be hook-shaped, in which case the hook would act .as a bearing but would make the operating mechanism detachable from the grid so that already-frozen assemblies of ice cubes and trays may be inserted and attached to the mechanism to remove the grid and shuck the ice cubes.

Each of the transverse plates 43 has an upper portion 46 extending to above the partition 36, and .a portion 47 extending below the aperture 45, and, thus, below the partition 36 received in aperture 45, so that the transverse plates are supported by the longitudinal partition 36.

The actuating strip 44 has a plurality of downwardly extending lugs 48, located at the left (FIG. 2) of each of the transverse plates 43 for tilting these plates from a vertical position toward the right to break the bond between the ice cubes and the grid and between the ice cubes and the tray.

At its right end (FIG. 2) the actuating strip 44 is pivotally secured to the link 40 by means of a rivet 49, so that when the link 40 moves clockwise, the actuating .strip 44 is pulled toward the right, tilting all of the transverse plates 43 toward the right.

Each of the comb assemblies 33 and 34 includes a longitudinally extending angle member 559 having an inwardly extending bottom flange 51 carried by each of the side walls 14 and 15. Because of the necessity of providing clearance at the, rear end 52 of angle member 50 for the actuating mechanism which includes the transversely extending shaft 66, a continuation of angle member 50 is provided in the form of a spaced comb member 54 at the right end of the tray.

The rim flange 32 on the ice tray slides under the flange 51 of the angle member 50, so that the tray is held down when the grid is lifted.

In order to assure the breaking loose of the ice cubes from the grid, each angle member 50 is provided with a multiplicity of rectangular U-shaped members 55, each of which has a yoke 56 that is riveted to the angle member, and each of which has two inwardly extending legs 57 and 58 that overhang the ice cubes in the ice pockets. Each angle member 54 is provided with one such U-shaped member.

Legs 57 and 58 may extend inward over the ice cubes but must terminate at 59 short of the central partition 36, actuating strip 44, and link 40, so that the comb assemblies 33, 34 and 54 only engage the ice cubes and have a clearance with respect to the grid.

The side Walls 14 and 15 of the housing are provided with curved slots or openings 60, one in each side wall. The slots extend upward and to the rear at 61, and are curved at 62 to correspond to the motion of the transverse shaft 66.

From portion 62, the openings 60 curve upward at 63 and extend diagonally to an end 64 of each opening near the top rear corner of the housing 10.

The openings 60 in each side wall are for the purpose of guiding the rollers 65, which are located on the opposite ends of the transverse shaft 66, outside the housing. Each roller is preferably of nylon and is provided with a groove 67 in its hub 67a, the groove following the slot 60.

The shaft or rod 66 has a shoulder 68 adjacent each end for engagement with a spacer 69 which engages the inside of the roller hub 67a and provides an annular abutment on the shaft 66 inside each side wall 14, 15.

Nuts 70, on the threaded ends of shaft 66 are used for securing to shaft 66 one end of a pair of levers 71 of an actuating handle 72. The actuating handle 72 has a transverse handpiece 73 of cylindrical shape, which is secured to the opposite, front end of each lever 71.

Each lever 71 has a horizontally extending portion 74 and a downwardly and diagonally extending portion 75. Each lever is pivoted on the side wall by means of a rivet 76 at an angular portion 77 joining the portions 74 and 75.

Each lever 71 has a longitudinal slot 78 terminating in a round aperture 79 at its lower end, the slot receiving the transverse shaft or rod 66 which extends through an aperture 80 in the link 40.

The operation of the present mechanism is as follows:

The present mechanism is disposed in a freezing evaporator, and when the handle handpiece 73 is moved downward, the grid assembly 35 is lifted above the tray. The tray may be filled with Water and the handle may be moved to the position of FIG. 2, wherein the grid is deposited in the tray.

The water is then frozen to form ice cubes, and when desired the handle 72 may be operated to release the ice cubes. The downward motion of the handpiece 73 of handle 72 lifts the end portion 75 with the shaft 66, cans ing the link 40 to move clockwise (in FIG. 2).

This moves the actuating strip 44 toward the right and tilts each of the transverse plates 43 from a left position to a right tilted position. The V-grooves 42 permit this motion of the transverse plates 43, which tends to break the ice cubes loose from the grid and from the ice tray.

During this motion of the grid plates, the shaft 66 rises in the slot or opening 60 to the curved portion 61.

Continued downward motion of the handpiece 73 lifts the grid from the ice tray. Any ice cubes wh ch still adhere to the grid are engaged by the comb assemblies 33 and 34, and the ice cubes are broken loose from the grid to drop back into the tray.

Continued downward motion of the handpiece 73 lifts the grid, and causes the outwardly sloping edge of end 38 to slide against end wall 13, thereby tending to hold the front end of the grid above the ice tray.

The tray with the freed ice cubes therein may now be removed from housing 10. After the ice cubes are emptied from the tray, the tray is replaced and the grid 35 is lowered into the tray by lifting the handle handpiece 73 to the position of FIG. 2.

Thus the present mechanism assures the separation of the ice cubes from the grid and leaves them loose in the tray.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, the combination of a housing having a pair of parallel side walls carried by bottom and top walls, forming a substantially rectangular opening at one end, an actuating lever assembly comprising a transverse handle at one end, said handle being carried by a pair of longitudinally extending legs having a horizontal portion and a downwardly extending diagonal portion, the said legs being each pivotally mounted on said side walls on the outside thereof, said diagonal portion being provided at its lower end with a longitudinally extending elongated aperture, an ice tray located in said housing, said ice tray having a grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition and a longitudinally extending actuating strip above the partition, said strip and partition extending through a multiplicity of transverse plates, forming ice pockets in the tray, an actuating link pivoted on the partition and pivoted to the strip and having a forwardly extending end pivoted to a transverse shaft, said shaft extending through the side walls of said housing and through the elongated aperture in the downwardly and diagonally extending portions of the handle legs, said side walls having upwardly extending curved slots for permitting the transverse shaft to follow said curved slots as the handle is pushed downward to actuate said link and free the ice cubes and thereafter lift the grid from the tray.

2. In an ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, the combination of a housing having a pair of parallel side walls carried by bottom and top walls, forming a substantially rectangular opening at one end, an actuating lever assembly comprising a transverse handle at one end, said handle being carried by a pair of longitudinally extending legs having a horizontal portion and a downwardly extending diagonal portion, the said legs being each pivotally mounted on said side walls on the outside thereof, said diagonal portion being provided at its lower end with a longitudinally extending elongated aperture, an ice tray located in said housing, said ice tray having a grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition and a longitudinally extending actuating strip above the partition, said strip and partition extending through a multiplicity of transverse plates, forming ice pockets in the tray, an actuating link pivoted on the partition and pivoted to the strip and having a forwardly extending end pivoted to a transverse shaft, said shaft extending through the side walls of said housing and through the elongated aperture in the downwardly and diagonally extending portions of the handle legs, said side walls having upwardly extending curved slots for permitting the transverse shaft to follow said curved slots as the handle is pushed downward to actuate said link and free the ice cubes and thereafter lift the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with grooved rollers at each of its ends for rolling in the curved slots as the transverse shaft is lifted by the handle.

3. In an ice cube shucking and lifiting'mechanism, the combination of a housing having a pair of parallel side walls carried by bottom and top walls, forming a substantially rectangular opening at one end, an actuating lever assembly comprising a transverse handle at one end, said handle being carried by a pair of longitudinally extending legs having a horizontal portion and a downwardly extending diagonal portion, the said legs beingeach pivotally mounted on said side walls on the outside thereof, said diagonal portion being provided at its lower end with a longitudinally extending elongated aperture, an ice tray located in said housing, said ice tray having a grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition and a longitudinally extending actuating strip above the partition, said strip and partition extending through a multiplicity of transverse plates, forming ice pockets in the tray, an actuating link pivoted on the partition and pivoted to the strip and having a forwardly extending end pivoted to a transverse shaft, said shaft extending through the side walls of said housing and through the elongated aperture in the downwardly and diagonally extending portions of the handle legs, said side walls having upwardly extending curved slots for permitting the transverse shaft to follow said curved slots as the handle is pushed downward to actuate said link and free the ice cubes and thereafter lift the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with grooved rollers at each of its ends for rolling in the curved slots as the transverse shaft is lifted by the handle, the said housing being provided on the inside of each of its walls with inwardly extending flanges engaging a projecting rim on the ice tray, but clearing the ice cubes.

4. In an ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, the combination of a housing having a pair of parallel side walls carried by bottom and top walls, forming a substantionally rectangular opening at one end, an actuating lever assembly comprising a transverse handle at one end, said handle being carried by a pair of longitudinally extending legs having a horizontal portion and a downwardly extending diagonal portion, the said legs being each pivotally mounted on said side walls on the outside thereof, said diagonal portion being provided at its lower end with a longitudinally extending elongated aperture, an ice tray in said housing, said ice tray having a grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition and a longitudinally extending actuating strip above the partition, said strip and partition extending through a multiplicity of transverse plates, forming ice pockets in the tray, an actuating link pivoted on the partition and pivoted to the strip and having a forwardly extending end pivoted to a transverse shaft, said shaft extending through the side walls of said housing and through the elongated aperture in the downwardly and diagonally extending portions of the handle legs, said side walls having upwardly extending curved slots for permitting the transverse shaft to follow said curved slots as the handle is pushed downward to actuate said link and free the ice cubes and thereafter lift the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with grooved rollers at each of its ends for rolling in the curved slots as the transverse shaft is lifted by the handle, the said housing being provided on the inside of each of its walls with inwardly extending flanges engaging a projecting rim on the ice tray, but clearing the ice cubes, and said housing having an end wall provided with a .Z-formation forming a stop engaging the top of the ice tray at the end and preventing the sliding movement of the ice tray inward.

5. In an ice cube shucking and lifting mechanism, the combination of a housing having a pair of parallel side walls carried by bottom and top walls, forming a substantially rectangular opening at one end, an actuating lever assembly comxprsing a transverse handle at one end, said handle being carried by a pair of longitudinally extending legs having a horizontal portion and a downwardly extending diagonal portion, the said legs being each pivotally mounted on said side walls on the outside thereof, said diagonal portion being provided at its lower end with a longitudinally extending elongated aperture, an ice tray located in said housing, said ice tray having a grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition and a longitudinally extending actuating strip above the partition, said strip and partition extending through a multiplicity of transverse plates, forming ice pockets in the tray, an actuating link pivoted on the partition and pivoted to the strip, and having a forwardly extending end pivoted to a transverse shaft, said shaft extending through the side walls of said housing and through the elongated aperture in the downwardly and diagonally extending portions of the handle legs, said side walls having upwardly extending curved slots for permitting the transverse shaft to follow said curved slots as the handle is pushed downward to actuate said link and free the ice cubes and thereafter lift the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with grooved rollers at each of its ends for rolling in the curved slots as the transverse shaft is lifted by the handle, the said housing being provided on the inside of each of its walls with inwardly extending flanges engaging a projecting rim on the ice tray, but clearing the ice cubes, and said housing being provided with inwardly extending comb formations on the inside of each side wall, said comb formations having legs overlying the ice cubes in each pocket but clearing the grid, so that the grid may be lifted between the comb formations, stripping the ice cubes from the grid.

6 In an ice shucking mechanism, the combination of an ice tray having upwardly and outwardly extending side walls and provided with an outwardly extending rim at the top, a grid assembly comprising a longitudinally extending partition having downwardly open V-grooves in its lower edge, and a plurality of transverse partitions located in the said V-grooves and having apertures for passing said partition, an actuating strip above the longitudinal partition and passing through the aperture in each transverse plate, said strip having a downwardly extending lug in front of each transverse plate, a link pivoted to the partition at one end and pivoted to the actuating strip, said link being also pivoted centrally to a transverse shaft, and an actuating mechanism comprising a two-legged handle, each leg being pivotally secured to said transverse shaft, and pivotally secured to a support, the downward motion of said handle lifting the link and moving the actuating strip longitudinally to tilt the transverse plates to break the bond with the ice cubes, and continued motion of said handle, lifting the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with a grooved roller at each of its ends, and said grooved rollers being located with their grooved portions in curved slots in the side walls of a housing for guiding the rollers upward in such manner that the grid is lifted parallel to the bottom of the ice tray.

7. In an ice chucking mechanism, the combination of an ice tray having upwardly and outwardly extending side walls and provided with an outwardly extending rim at the top, a grid assembly comprising a longitudinally extending partition having downwardly open V-grooves in its lower edge, and a plurality of transverse partitions located in said V-grooves and having apertures for passing said partition, an actuating strip above the longitudinal partition and passing through the aperture in each transverse plate, said strip having a downwardly extending lug in front of each transverse plate, a link pivoted to the partition at one end and pivoted to the actuating strip, said link being also pivoted centrally to a transverse shaft, and an actuating mechanism comprising a two-legged handle, each leg being pivotally secured to said transverse shaft, and pivotally secured to a support, the downward motion of said handle lifting the link and moving the actuating strip longitudinally to tilt the transverse plates to break the bond with the ice cubes, and continued motion of said handle, lifting the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with a grooved roller at each of its ends, and said grooved rollers being located with their grooved portions in curved slots in the side walls of a housing for guiding the rollers upward in such manner that the grid is lifted parallel to the bottom of the ice tray, the said housing being provided with a plurality of U-shaped members carried by its side walls, and having legs projecting over the ice cubes but clearing the grid for stripping the ice cubes from the grid as the grid is raised.

8. In an ice shucking mechanism, the combination of an ice tray having upwardly and outwardly extending side walls and provided with an outwardly extending rim at the top, a grid assembly comprising a longitudinally extending partition having downwardly open V-grooves in its lower edge, and a plurality of transverse partitions located in said V-grooves and having apertures for passing said partition, an actuating strip above the longitudinal partition and passing through the aperture in each trans verse plate, said strip having a downwardly extending lug in front of each transverse plate, a link pivoted to the partition at one end and pivoted to the actuating strip, said link being also pivoted centrally to a transverse shaft, and an actuating mechanism comprising a two-legged handle, each leg being pivotally secured to said transverse shaft, and pivotally secured to a support, the down ward motion of said handle lifting the link and moving the actuating strip longitudinally to tilt the transverse plates to break the bond with the ice cubes, and continued motion of said handle, lifting the grid from the tray, the said transverse shaft being provided with a grooved roller at each of its ends, and said grooved rollers being located with their grooved portions in curved slots in the side walls of a housing for guiding the rollers upward in such manner that the grid is lifted parallel to the bottom of the ice tray, the said housing being provided with a plurality of U-shaped members carried by its side walls, and having legs projecting over the ice cubes but clearing the grid for stripping the ice cubes from the grid as the grid is raised, the said housing also having inwardly extending flanges engaging above the ice tray at each side and above the ice tray at its end for resisting upward and longitudinal movement of the ice tray.

9. Means providing ice in released cube form, comprising: an ice tray; partition means in said tray dividing the same into a plurality of spaces in which ice may be formed; a support adjacent said tray and having a guide slot therein; lever means pivotally mounted on the support and the partition means for moving the partition means in one direction to loosen ice in said spaces from the partition means, and having a roller movable through said slot to move the partition means in another direction to remove the partition means from the tray permitting free access to the tray for removal of the ice therefrom as desired.

10. Means providing ice in released cube form, comprising: an ice tray; partition means in said tray dividing the same into a plurality of spaces in which ice may be formed; a support adjacent said tray and having a wall portion extending transversely to the ice tray; and means movably associated with the support and the partition means for moving the partition means in one direction to loosen ice in said spaces from the partition means, and having a portion guided by the support to move the partition means in engagement with said wall portion to remove the partition means from the tray while maintaining it generally parallel to the ice tray, thereby permitting free access to the tray for removal of the ice therefrom as desired.

ll. Ice cube shucking means comprising: a support for holding an ice cube tray in an upwardly opening disposition and having tray abutting members permitting movement of the tray in one horizontal direction only; a grid for dividing the ice cube tray into a plurality of spaces, said grid comprising a plurality of movably associated partitions; and lever mechanism movably mounted on the support and connected to said grid to move said grid between a first disposition within the ice cube tray held in the support and a second disposition spaced therefrom permitting removal of the tray from the support, said means being arranged to urge portions of the grid in a horizontal direction opposite said one horizontal direction and effect a rearrangement of said partitions prior to movement of the grid from said first disposition thereby to break the grid loose from ice in the tray and permit free movement of the grid to said second disposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,351,303 Storer June 13, 1944 2,688,236 Copeman Sept. 7, 1954 2,701,453 Henderson Feb. 8, 1955 

